METHODS: The structures of all synthesized compounds were characterized by physicochemical properties and spectral means (IR and NMR). The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (B. subtilis), Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa and E. coli) bacterial and fungal (C. albicans and A. niger) strains by tube dilution method using ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin and fluconazole as standards. In-vitro antioxidant and anti-urease screening was done by DPPH assay and indophenol method, respectively. The in-vitro anticancer evaluation was carried out against MCF-7 and HCT116 cancer cell lines using 5-FU as standards.
RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The biological screening results reveal that the compounds T5 (MICBS, EC = 24.7 µM, MICPA, CA = 12.3 µM) and T17 (MICAN = 27.1 µM) exhibited potent antimicrobial activity as comparable to standards ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin (MICCipro = 18.1 µM, MICAmo = 17.1 µM) and fluconazole (MICFlu = 20.4 µM), respectively. The antioxidant evaluation showed that compounds T2 (IC50 = 34.83 µg/ml) and T3 (IC50 = 34.38 µg/ml) showed significant antioxidant activity and comparable to ascorbic acid (IC50 = 35.44 µg/ml). Compounds T3 (IC50 = 54.01 µg/ml) was the most potent urease inhibitor amongst the synthesized compounds and compared to standard thiourea (IC50 = 54.25 µg/ml). The most potent anticancer activity was shown by compounds T2 (IC50 = 3.84 μM) and T7 (IC50 = 3.25 μM) against HCT116 cell lines as compared to standard 5-FU (IC50 = 25.36 μM).
Methods: A prospective observational study including 223 patients receiving the branded medicine Exjade® and 101 patients receiving the copy Osveral® was carried out. Data were assessed for a 1-year period and included clinical symptoms, serum ferritin (SF), serum creatinine (SC), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Data were analyzed with SPSS version 22 software (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).
Results: The median age of the sample was 8 years. There was no significant difference in gender distribution between the two groups (p = 0.625). Nausea was the most frequently reported adverse effect followed by diarrhea and abdominal pain in both groups. Patients receiving Exjade® had a higher relative reduction of SF at the end of the study compared with the Osveral® group (19.9% versus 9.93%, p = 0.028). SC was found to be significantly higher in the Osveral® group than in the Exjade® group throughout the study period. The mean platelet count was higher in the Exjade® group. ALT was significantly higher among patients receiving Osveral® over the last three months of the study.
Conclusions: Exjade® showed a better ability to reduce SF, with less liver toxicity, and better hemostasis profile. No congenital anomalies associated with short-term use of both drugs during pregnancy were observed or reported.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate thermotolerance and antifungal susceptibility of feline Malaysian Sporothrix isolates, compare microdilution (MD) and E-test results, and investigate changes in susceptibility during azole therapy.
METHODS: Sporothrix schenckii sensu stricto was isolated from 44 cats. Thermotolerance was determined via culture at 37°C for 7 days. Susceptibility to itraconazole (ITZ), ketoconazole (KTZ) and terbinafine (TRB) was assessed in 40 isolates by MD; to amphotericin B (AMB), KTZ, ITZ, fluconazole (FLC) and posaconazole (POS) by E-test. Results were statistically compared by Pearson's Product Moment. In eight ketoconazole treated cats, susceptibility testing to itraconazole and ketoconazole was repeated every two months for six months.
RESULTS: Thermotolerance was observed in 36 of 44 (82%) isolates. Assuming that isolates growing at antifungal concentrations ≥4 mg/mL were resistant, all were resistant on E-test to FLC and AMB, 11 (28%) to POS, 6 (15%) to ITZ and 1 (3%) to KTZ. On MD, 27 of 40 (68%) were resistant to TRB, 2 (5%) to ITZ and 3 (8%) to KTZ. There was no correlation between E-test and MD results (KTZ r = 0.10, P = 0.54, and ITZ r = 0.11, P = 0.48). MD values for ITZ and KTZ did not exceed 4 mg/L during KTZ therapy.
CONCLUSION: The majority of feline isolates in Malaysia are thermosensitive. Lack of correlation between E-test and MD suggests that the E-test is unreliable to test antifungal susceptibility for Sporothrix spp. compared to MD. KTZ was the antifungal drug with the lowest MIC. Prolonged KTZ administration may not induce changes in antifungal susceptibility.
Methods: Seventy-two postmenopausal women with stage I, II, or III breast cancer from the Oncology Clinic, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital were treated with anastrozole (1 mg/day). Patients were randomly assigned to one of the two groups (n = 36/group): a control group (no honey) and a honey group (20 g/day of honey for 12 weeks). Fasting blood samples were obtained pre- and post-intervention to investigate differences in the haematological, renal, and liver profiles of patients in both the groups.
Results: Post-intervention, alanine aminotransferase levels were significantly higher in the control group than in the honey group. In the honey group, white blood cell counts, platelet counts, and creatinine levels were significantly higher following honey supplementation for 12 weeks. Nevertheless, the values were still within normal ranges.
Conclusions: The present study suggests that honey supplementation of 20 g/day for 12 weeks is safe and beneficial for postmenopausal breast cancer patients.
Methods: A single-centre, retrospective study evaluating posaconazole Cmin in LTx recipients receiving posaconazole suspension or MR tablets between January 2014 and December 2016.
Results: Forty-seven LTx patients received posaconazole suspension, and 78 received the MR tablet formulation; a total of 421 and 617 Cmin measurements were made, respectively. Posaconazole was concurrently administered with proton pump inhibitor in ≥ 90% of patients. The median (IQR) of initial posaconazole Cmin following 300 mg daily of posaconazole tablet was significantly higher than that of 800 mg daily of posaconazole suspension [1.65 (0.97-2.13) mg/L versus 0.81 (0.48-1.15) mg/L, P